Lesser known races thread 2022

[SafeBet]

Fran Miholjevic showing some panache in Sicily.

 

[Laplaz]

Fran Miholjevic showing some panache in Sicily.

Really strong today, I think he will win it.

 

[Netserk]

Paging @Bavarianrider. Lovely roads and asphalt in Italy?!

 

[Netserk]

Were there crosswinds?

 

[SafeBet]

Were there crosswinds?

A resemblance of crosswinds but the split in the bunch was mainly due to the long drag and the pelotn being weaker than in a normal pro race.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Were there crosswinds?

For a really short amount, but it all came back together.
Miholjevic is strong as an ox, one to watch for the future.

 

[SafeBet]

Tappa e maglia for Miholjevic.
Another rider born in 2022 winning his first pro race.

 

[Red Rick]

Tappa e maglia for Miholjevic.
Another rider born in 2022 winning his first pro race.

Send him to the baby Giro

 

[Netserk]

Nice last km by the way, straight and undulating.

Always pleasing to see how much a win matters to a rider.

 

[Mayomaniac]

Nibali 6th, 5th in the bunch sprint.

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Sicilia

GC

 

[Samu Cuenca]

Pretty strong effort by Cote to come back after his mechanical and do a rather long sprint to finish second.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I bet Miholjevic is gonna turn pro with Bahrain, his father is a ds there...

 

[search]

I bet Miholjevic is gonna turn pro with Bahrain, his father is a ds there...

most likely, yeah. Friuli is also Bahrain's devo team now

 

[Salvarani]

Tappa e maglia for Miholjevic.
Another rider born in 2022 winning his first pro race.

Not even 1 years old. What an achievement. He was born with it.

 

[RedheadDane]

Send him to the baby Giro

I don't think there's a literal Baby Giro.

 

[Mayomaniac]

most likely, yeah. Friuli is also Bahrain's devo team now

Yeah, I noticed the Bahrain paintjob on Team Friuli's Merida bikes.

 

[Mayomaniac]

I don't think there's a literal Baby Giro.

What about the Degenkolb Bimbi race?

 

[Mayomaniac]

Fortin wins stage 2 of Belgrade Banjaluka. It was only a 122km, stage, but it looks like it was raced hard, they finished with an average speed of 51.78 km/h!

 

[Libertine Seguros]

The HTV Cup gets restarted after the rest day with its longest stage, 206km from Vinh to Quảng Bình. An eight man break characterised much of the day, with the length resulting in a more conventional-looking race to an audience weaned on top level cycling - an early break, some small climbs and intermediate sprints being fought over, and then the reeling back of the group to make the catch. The break did start to splinter a few kilometres before each significant prize with prize money available for the intermediate sprints, and at the top of the đèo Ngang climb, enough points to hold the polka dots until stage 12, guaranteeing podium time and payments. Hồ Hoàng Sơn won the second intermediate sprint after one of these escapes, beating Quân Khu 7's teenage prospect Nguyễn Văn Nhã, but the latter persisted and pushed on toward the climb, leading to the two coming away from the rest of the break and the teenager taking the jersey.

Kenda Đồng Nai led the chase, with the length and pace meaning some of the purer sprinters were off their pace, and then Dopagan took over as they got the leaders into sight. 15km from home the escapees still had 2:15, but this distance is very uncommon for the péloton of the HTV Cup, and the leading duo hit the wall pretty hard. Once the attacks started behind, the pace rose and rose hard, and their advantage disappeared. In the last few kilometres attacks continued, and HTV tried out a new editing technique that I'm not especially fond of, zooming rapidly and refocusing on the bunch behind. Very strange finishing line for the race here as well, kind of in the middle of nowhere but still a sprint, so not what they typically go for. As was probably to be expected for those that pay attention to the race, it was a sprint after a long stage with some hills to burn off the purest sprinters, so Nguyễn Tấn Hoài of course won, ahead of Erdenebat Bilguunjargal and Nguyễn Trường Tài. Nguyễn Trường Tài has been on the GC podium here, being a top rider for Vinama in both of Sardá's triumphs and last year also. The main body of the GC is not majorly affected, but Trần Tuấn Kiệt scoring a 4th place does mean that he prises the points jersey off the shoulders of Quàng Văn Cường, but since Quàng is busy in yellow, Trần was already wearing it anyway, he just now takes it on merit...

 

[Mayomaniac]

Kinda funny that today will be the first time that the Sicilian Caruso climbs the Etna in a pro race.

 

[Ilmaestro99]

Kinda funny that today will be the first time that the Sicilian Caruso climbs the Etna in a pro race.

He has done plenty of training there. Probably bored of it

 

[TourOfSardinia]

Kinda funny that today will be the first time that the Sicilian Caruso climbs the Etna in a pro race.

expect an eruption?

 

[RedheadDane]

Crosswinds in Turkey.
Not sure if any important riders are caught behind.

Break in France:

En tête de course, nous retrouvons : Stéphane ROSSETTO (St-Michel-Auber 93), Matthew HOLMES (Lotto-Soudal), Fabien DOUBEY (TotalEnergies), Maxime BOUET (Team Arkéa-Samsic), Adrien LAGRÉE (B&B Hôtels-KTM), et Pau MIQUEL DELGADO (Equipo Kern Pharma).

 

[RedheadDane]

Ewan takes the win.